Patient Charter

A guide for patients, carers and families

Mater respects your right to receive healthcare services. We are committed to provide exceptional, patient-focused, high quality and safe healthcare. In order to provide such care, a partnership between patients, carers and families and healthcare providers is essential. The Mater Patient Charter addresses your rights and responsibilities. It outlines the process to follow if you, or a family member, wish to raise concerns about your care or immediate safety (PACE). It also provides details to enable you to contact the Privacy Office or provide feedback.

Mater Patient Charter complies with the National Safety and quality Health Service Standard 2—Partnering with Consumers.

Mater Patient Charter

Everyone who is seeking or receiving care in the Australian health system has certain rights and responsibilities regarding the nature of that care.

Access

I have a right to:

Healthcare—I can access services to attend to my healthcare needs. While some expenses are covered by Medicare, if I activate my private health insurance cover or opt to self-fund I may choose my doctor, my hospital and convenient appointment times, potentially avoiding longer waits.

I have a responsibility to:

advise Mater of any change of address, GP details or contact details.

be aware that I may have to wait for attention at times if staff are attending to other patients.

keep my appointments, or notify Mater if I am unable to attend.

accept that some services I require may not be available at this location.

Safety

I have a right to:

Receive safe and high quality care—I receive safe and high quality health services, provided with professional care, skill and competence.

I have a responsibility to:

provide accurate information about my health and anything else that may have an impact on my care (including alternative/ complementary therapies).

tell staff of changes I notice in my medical condition.

tell staff if I have concerns regarding any aspects of my care.

Communication

I have a right to:

Be informed about services, treatment, options and costs in a clear and open way—I receive open, timely and appropriate communication about my healthcare in a way I can understand.

I have a responsibility to:

be as open and honest as I can and ask for more information if I do not understand.

tell staff if English is not my first language so I can be given access to an interpreter in person or by phone.

understand that if I am not covered by Medicare (e.g. I am an overseas visitor) I will be responsible for payment of all relevant fees and charges.

understand that if I elect to be a private (chargeable) patient, I will be given information about costs and I will be responsible for paying my attending doctor/s and any other relevant charges.

Participation

I have a right to:

Be included in decisions and choices about my care—I may join in making decisions and choices about my care and about health service planning, including my end of life care planning. I may choose to not accept the advice provided to me. Regardless, I will be supported to make the healthcare decision that I consider is best for me.

I have a responsibility to:

ask questions so I can be informed about my medical condition and my care options before giving my consent to any treatment.

discuss my concerns and decisions with my healthcare provider, for example, if I do not wish to continue treatment, I am unable to comply with treatment or I intend to discharge myself against medical advice. Once I am made aware of the implications, I have to accept responsibility for the consequences of my decision.

provide a copy of my advanced care plan, advance health directives, enduring power of attorney or other legal documents which may be relevant.

Respect

I have a right to:

I have a responsibility to:

tell staff of circumstances concerning my culture and beliefs so they can respond to my needs and preferences, but accept in some circumstances this may not be possible.

recognise Mater is a diverse community where everyone should be treated with respect and dignity.

respect other patients and staff, for example, by limiting noise and the number of visitors.

Privacy

I have a right to:

Privacy and confidentiality of my personal information—my personal privacy is maintained and proper handling of my personal health and other information is assured.

I have a responsibility to:

accept that my health information may be shared with appropriate healthcare providers and other agencies as authorised by law.

ask for my recorded health information to be corrected if it is inaccurate.

respect the privacy and confidentiality of others.

Comment

I have a right to:

Comment on my care and to have my concerns addressed—I can comment on or complain about my care and have my concerns investigated and responded to so that Mater can better understand my care experience and areas for improvement.

I have a responsibility to:

tell staff if I have a problem, concern or worry about my care and my safety so they can respond.

raise concerns about my care with the treating team.

Your Safety, Our Priority—Patient and Carer Escalation (PACE)*

We value your safety above all else. We expect that your healthcare team can address any concerns or worries you may have about your care and immediate safety. Patients, families or carers have a right to further escalate their concerns and we encourage you to raise any concerns as early as possible. If you have serious or immediate concerns about your health, please follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1: Speak to your nurse or doctor, who will listen and respond to your concerns.

If you are unsatisfied with the response and are still concerned, move to step 2.

Step 2: Ask to speak to the nurse/midwifery team leader or nurse/midwifery unit manager.

If you are unsatisfied with the response, and are still concerned, move to step 3.

Help Mater to improve

We need your help to design better ways to provide healthcare, to comment on our policies and procedures, measure and evaluate how we are doing and make decisions about our future. If you are interested in volunteering your time as a member of Mater's Community of Consumers, please email consumers@mater.org.au.